
Mufti Qavi announces nikkah date with Rakhi Sawant
Pakistani religious scholar Mufti Abdul Qavi has claimed that he is set to marry Indian actress Rakhi Sawant, with the wedding reportedly scheduled for February 14.
Speaking on a private TV programme, Mufti Qavi revealed that the date was chosen by Rakhi herself. 'Our nikkah is happening on February 14,' he said, confirming that Rakhi had personally suggested the date.
He said that after the wedding, Rakhi would adopt Islamic attire. 'Her clothing will be completely in accordance with Islamic and Shariah guidelines, and I might even change my own dressing style,' he added.
Earlier, in a podcast interview, Mufti Qavi had said he was willing to marry Rakhi if his mother approved. He later clarified that his mother had advised him to make his own decision but refrain from disclosing details about his past marriages.
Rakhi, known for her controversial statements, responded to Mufti Qavi's proposal in a humourous manner. 'I've been dying to marry a Maulana! Qavi Sahib, your name even means 'strong'—why don't you write me some poetry instead?' she joked.
The development has sparked widespread speculation, with social media users questioning whether the nikkah will actually take place or if the exchange is merely a publicity stunt.

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Between inheritance and invention
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Over the two decades it covers — from 1997 to 2017 — Pakistani Anglophone writing has achieved international prominence, developed new idioms, and begun to address audiences both within and beyond the country's borders. The anthology assembles the work of 86 writers, reflecting a remarkable breadth of forms. It comprises poetry, short stories, novel excerpts, memoirs, life writings, essays, and drama. This diversity is not merely a matter of genre. Still, of sensibility: it suggests that Pakistani English literature has evolved into a domain capacious enough to hold multiple, sometimes conflicting, conceptions of identity and cultural legitimacy. The first contributor in the volume is Taufiq Rafat, a poet often credited with pioneering an indigenous voice in English. His inclusion underscores the lineage of literary experiment that has shaped Pakistani writing since decades after independence. 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In the New Century ultimately stands as both an archive and a provocation — a testament to the enduring conviction that literature, even when contested, remains one of the most powerful ways a society can imagine itself anew. In the New Century: An Anthology of Pakistani Literature in English Compiled and Edited by Muneeza Shamsie Published by Oxford University Press Pakistan, 2025 Pages: 600 Price PKR 2495/- ISBN: 978-0-19-906091-7 The writer is a Pakistan-born and Austria-based poet in Urdu and English. He teaches South Asian literature and culture at Vienna All facts and information are the sole repsonsibility of the writer


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